Congratulation on taking the first steps toward rescuing a wonderful, deserving Boxer. To ensure a positive experience it's best that everyone involved get the big picture of bringing a new dog into your home, before you adopt. Read on for helpful tips on selecting the right Boxer and making a new dog’s transition to your life and home as smooth as possible. The more prepared you are the better for all involved. We are ready!

Is A Boxer Right For You?
Boxer lovers agree that once you have lived with a Boxer you will always want one as part of your life. For those of you who are new to the wonderful world of Boxers, you are in for the best dog on earth. But make sure it’s the best dog for you and your lifestyle. Click the links for general Boxer profiles.

What is the BRLA adoption process?All adopters are required to complete an ADOPTION APPLICATION first. Your completed application will be forwarded to one of our BRLA Screeners who will contact you via email/telephone to review your application for adoption. Adoptions are scheduled by appointment only. Adoption appointments are scheduled on Saturday from 11am to 5pm and on occasion on a Sunday from 1pm to 3pm. If approved, your BRLA Screener will email you a detailed document with directions, what to bring for the adoption appointment and what to expect on your visit.

Any resident dogs must be spayed or neutered before visiting our kennel and adopting a BRLA Boxer.

All family members must attend the adoption appointment. Family participation allows BRLA to ensure a good match. This includes all children, other dogs, etc.

You will work one-on-one with a BRLA Matchmaker during your adoption appointment. Our Matchmaker Team is experienced and will carefully work with you to find a Boxer that fits all aspects of your life including home, kids, other pets, leadership levels, and hours alone. There are so many other factors to consider that make a responsible LIFETIME match.

Adopters are not permitted inside our facility due to liability issues. Our Matchmakers will bring dogs out one by one that best fit your criteria.

Our Boxers are ready to go home with you on adoption day, providing a match is made. Come prepared to bring your new family member home! Come to your appointment ready to fall in love and bring a Boxer home!

How do I choose the right Boxer?

BRLA takes great pride in assisting you in finding the right match for you, your family and your lifestyle. It’s like finding the two right puzzle pieces that fit perfectly.

No doubt you have viewed the BRLA "Available Dogs" pages and are drawn to certain Boxers. Our website can be a lot like internet dating. You read the profile, are drawn to the cute face and fall in love. Keeping an open mind when you arrive for your adoption appointment is always recommended as meeting the dogs in person is much more revealing.
BRLA has an amazing crew of Volunteers that work with our Boxers and get to know their personality, activity level, social skills and know what factors formulate the Boxer side of the puzzle. Your adoption application gives us your overall profile and the factors to your side of the puzzle allowing BRLA to suggest the Boxers that will fit best. There are many factors to consider on both sides in finding the right match. We work with your preferences to find the best candidate for a responsible lifetime match. This is where BRLA shines as our Team does an amazing job of helping you finding that Boxer that is the perfect fit to your life.

Male vs Female?

From years of experience we have come to understand the dynamics of successful matching:

The best match is male to female.

The second best match is male to male.

Female to female matches are not recommended

Boxer Rescue LA has a limited policy of placing a female into a home with another female in residence. We have seen too many heartbreaking incidents that resulted from more than one female in the home. Sure some people have gotten lucky with females in the past but we take safety seriously and will only consider placing an adult female that has rock solid social skills into a home with another adult female with equal temperment. We really have to be convinced all parties are well balanced. We will not place a young female Boxer in a home with another female as there may be peace in the beginning but as the young female matures (about 1.5 to 2 years old) the boundaries can be tested and can result in injury to one or both dogs. Better safe than sorry which is why we recommend placing males with resident females.

How much is the adoption donation?
Before Boxers are ready for adoption they are sterilized, their shots are brought up-to-date and are micro-chipped. Our minimum adoption donation is $300 and helps cover these expenses and kennel operation costs. Many people are compelled to donate more, when they see our massive operation in person and just how many deserving dogs BRLA saves from certain death. We are funded solely by private donation. All donations are tax deductible and can be made by Visa- MasterCard - Debit Card or cash. No checks please.

What do I need for my new Boxer?

When you visit BRLA and find the right Boxer, your dog will be going home with you that day.
You should be prepared to welcome your new family member into your home with everything they will need. Here is a list of the bare minimum you should have before you bring you new Boxer home:

Food bowl

Water bowl

Leash (we recommend a six foot leash)

Collar (we recommend martingale type collars)

ID tag (even a temporary one is okay but you need one ASAP)

Dog Bed (Costco has great beds at rock bottom prices)

Wire Crate (optional but the absolute best tool for housebreaking and getting use to a new home)

Dog Food

What kind of dog food do you recommend?

When you adopt a BRLA Boxer our volunteers will go over feeding your dog in great detail. In general we tell everyone that the best investment in your new Boxer is the absolute best quality food you can afford. There are many brands we suggest but we do not advise buying huge bags in advance as your new dog may not eat them. Most will eat anything but sometimes it can be trial and error.

We can tell you what kind of food to NOT feel your new Boxer: One thing we feel strongly about is NO GROCERY STORE FOOD (Purina, Pedigree, etc) as there are too many fillers, preservatives and toxins. If you see corn mentioned in the first five ingredients do not feed to a Boxer. Also after the recent deadly pet food contamination crisis, avoid any pet food products from China. Only feed your new Boxer a high quality commercial dog food or home cook for your dog.

Is everyone prepared for the new arrival?

At BRLA we will do everything possible to match you up with a Boxer that will fit into your lifestyle and everyone included in your life. If your home includes other dogs, cats or kids of any age, it is best to be prepared to follow some basic integration guidelines to insure a smooth transition. It can take a little time and a little effort but knowing what to do and what NOT TO DO will make things much easier. We cannot stress enough how important the first few days and weeks are to a smooth integration.

Click the links below for successful integration tips that apply to you. Be prepared, read about successful integration and have the TIME to help all feel at home. It will be well worth it in the long run.

There is so much good advice in the articles above. Your BRLA Matchmaker will go over all details again at time of adoption. The three most important things to limit when bringing a new dog home with your existing home are FOOD, AFFECTION and TOYS. Go slow and avoid triggers. With cats, NEVER have your new dog loose with cat until FULLY integrated. It is NEVER worth the risk when it comes to your cat.

BE SMART- BE PREPARED
BEFORE you bring your new Boxer home, if it is your first or you have had many, we HIGHLY RECOMMEND you spend a little time learning about positive training methods from BRLA Trainer, Mary Hirt of Teacher's Pet Dog Training. Her methods not only work they are fun bonding exercises for you and your new Boxer. Check out Mary's videos:

Facebook: Training Tips Every Tuesday - Watch them all and learn A LOT!Website: Great information and videos

Training Tip Videos! We are fortunate to have Mary Hirt of Teacher's Pet Dog Training as a trainer and mentor to Boxer Rescue LA. We have a collection of her short and informative video training tips available for you to watch and learn.

Boxers are clever and they are fantastic athletes. Please make sure all gates, doors and fences are in good working order. Repair and secure before you bring a new Boxer home.

Many a Boxer has let themselves out a gate latch they have figured out. Many a Boxer has let themselves out a fence that is is disrepair or has a low or weak spot. You do not want your new boxer lost or injured before they become accustom to your home. Make sure you Boxer will be safe and secure in your home & yard.

Where is the best place for my new Boxer to sleep?

Boxers LOVE their human family members. Your new Boxer should sleep inside the house preferably in the same room as a family member. A crate is a great integration tool to help your need dog feel at home in the beginning. Your new Boxer should NEVER be expected to sleep in an isolated area or room like laundry room, office, bathroom or any other space that is not associated with spending happy safe family time. Your new Boxer is a family member.

What about Health Issues
BRLA treats health issues that are apparent when Boxers arrive or conditions that develop during their time at our facility. Sometimes owners that relinquish their Boxers to us share all medical history and we always pass on that information to the new adopters. Dogs that we pull from city shelters come without much history and we must evaluate visually from experience. BRLA will always divulge any conditions that are known. With more than 120 Boxer in our care it is fiscally impossible to give blood test and x-rays to all dogs that cross our doors. We do our very best to recognize any issues treat them and pass that information along to new owner. Most dogs have come from good home that treated them well and it’s rarely a health issue that is the cause of their abandonment.

What we want you to be aware of are the very common temporary condition that affect many dogs in communal living environments: kennels, boarding facilities, etc. Kennel Cough and Diarrhea/Giardia are easily spread but also easily treated. Your new Boxer may or may not have been exposed so please take a moment to familiarize yourself with these common and very treatable temporary conditions.

Make sure your resident dog is current with shots, especially bortatella before visiting BRLA.

The main thing to remember is that BRLA stands behind all adopted Boxers and provides post-adoption follow ups to ensure any questions are answered and any issues are addressed. Trainers are available to provide the tools you need for any adjustments to your home aw well. You can study up on the most common questions people have about bringing a new dog home. Click on the links to get detailed information.

BRLA is fortunate to have Joe Ramirez (K-9 Joe) and Mary Hirt from Teachers Pet Dog Training as our training advisors. K-9 Joe has decades of experience with Boxers and is an amazing trainer using calm assertive leadership with great success. K-9 Joe has compiled the top ten things you should do after you adopt.

Mary Hirt has embraced continue education and has shown BRLA the amazing results of positive training techniques including Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT) and many other innovative cutting edge methods that really work.